


Tell me that you'll open your eyes

by bonotje



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Coma, M/M, Panic Attacks, Traumatic Brain Injury, crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 11:57:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15796059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonotje/pseuds/bonotje
Summary: Daniel had been fine, he’d gotten out of his car just fine. A little shaken up and he’d be feeling it tomorrow for sure, but he was fine. He’d walked himself back to the pits for God’s sake. He was fine, he was supposed to be FINE.His crumpled body on the ground is anything but fine.





	Tell me that you'll open your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason I keep getting ideas for angsty fics right after finishing a fluffy or smutty one...
> 
> (There's a crash in this fic which results in some brain injury so if that's not your thing or you want to know more about the specifics I've added it in the end notes.)

“Open your eyes. Please just open your eyes Daniel,” Max begged, the question sounding more desperate each time he’d asked it over the last couple of hours. But Daniel stayed as still as he had been for hours now. He’d been sat here on this uncomfortable hospital chair for hours. Six hours to be precise, he thought as he looked up at the clock on the opposite wall. And before that he’d been sat in an equally as uncomfortable chair in the waiting room. 

_“DANIEL!”_

_His scream echoes through the pit lane. He’d just been walking down from the podium, on his way to the press conference when he had glanced to his right and saw it._

_Daniel had been fine, he’d gotten out of his car just fine. A little shaken up and he’d be feeling it tomorrow for sure, but he was_ fine. _He’d walked himself back to the pits for God’s sake. He was fine, he was supposed to be FINE._

_His crumpled body on the ground is anything but fine._

He’d collapsed out of nowhere. One second he was talking to the medics about a cursory check up at the hospital and the next his legs had given out on him. People rushing forward as soon as they’d seen him wobble.

Max had shrugged off the hand of his press handler, that was trying to steer him towards the room the press conference was being held in, as soon as he saw, rushing towards him along with everyone else. His knees were still sore from where they’d hit the ground hard as he kneeled down next to Daniel. His hands shaking with nervous adrenaline as he reached out to touch Daniel’s still body lying on the ground.

He looks back up at the man lying in the hospital, as still as he’d been for hours. There are some stitches forming a line on his forehead from where his head had hit the asphalt when he fell, but other than that he looks unharmed. If it weren’t for the wires of the infusion in his arm, the oxygen mask and the weird little hat with more wires they’d put on his head that is.  

He wasn’t though, the wires on the hat connecting to a machine that spit out lines with brain activity or something. He hadn’t really been paying too much attention when the doctor had tried to explain stuff to him. He’d asked questions as soon as he’d been brought back to his room, but none of the answers the doctor had given him had really stuck.

_“How’s he doing? Is he alright? Do you know what’s wrong?” he asked, jumping up from the plastic chair he’d been sat on for an hour as they did tests on Daniel. He rushes after the doctor and nurse as they roll the hospital bed into a room, eager to know what they’ve found out._

_“As of now we’ve been able to rule out a stroke or hemorrhage as there were no blood clots or leaks visible on the scans. The most likely cause seems to be a traumatic brain injury due to the crash.”_

_“But he was fine, he got out of the car by himself. Wouldn’t he have been knocked out right away?”_

_“It seems like he had a minor concussion from the crash, which might’ve knocked him out for a few seconds but wasn’t bad enough for him not to be able to get out on his own. There’s some swelling visible on the scans, so whilst he seemed fine coming back to the pit lane the pressure from the swelling caused him to collapse.”_

_“So you knows what’s wrong, you can fix it right?”_

_“For now we’re monitoring Mr. Ricciardo’s brain activity. The swelling is minor enough that we are treating it with anti-inflammatory medication and we’ll keep monitoring the swelling and his brain activity to see if the medication is helping. We’re hoping the swelling will go down soon, but we’ll have to wait and see.”_

Soon they’d said, well 7 hours didn’t feel like soon to Max. He squeezed at Daniel’s hand, hoping for a movement, a twitch, anything to let him know Dan was getting better. But nothing happened, the hand he held clasped tightly in his own was still as limp as before. He sighed, dropped his head on top of their entwined hands and just waited. It seemed like he’d been waiting for ages already, but he would wait forever if he needed to. He just needed to see that goofy smile again, that twinkle in his eye as he told a stupid joke. Needed to hear that voice again, gruff in the morning after he’d just woken up.  

He heard someone enter the room, but they didn’t say something so he kept his head down, squeezed at Daniel’s hand again in another desperate attempt to get him to wake up. He heard the nurse move around, looking over the information the machine was spitting out, writing something down. She send him a polite smile as he lifted his head up from its position.

He must look terrible, his eyes bloodshot from crying his eyes out earlier and his hair a mess of sweat and champagne. She fiddles with the bags hanging from the stand next to the bed. Fluids and medication, they’d explained earlier.

She leaves with another polite smile and nod. He sends the barest head movement back, grateful she isn’t the chatty nurse from before, the one that tried to get him to leave Daniel’s side. ‘Just to stretch your legs darling, maybe get something to eat in the cafeteria,’ she’d said in her broken English, Portuguese accent seeping through each word.    

He hadn’t moved from his spot, no matter how much she kept suggesting it each time she came to check up on Daniel. Her shift must be over now. Someone from the team had come by earlier bringing him some fresh clothes so he could get out of the race suit he’d still been wearing. She came baring snacks and a coffee as well. He hadn’t had the energy to tell her he didn’t drink coffee. The cup was still sat on the little tray next to the hospital bed, contents now gone cold.

“I won,” he whispered into the quiet room. “How am I ever going to enjoy that win if you don’t open your fucking eyes Daniel!” He blinked hard, trying to stop the tears from falling down his face once more, but he couldn’t help it. They were supposed to be celebrating his fifth win, should’ve been wasted on alcohol right now sharing sloppy kisses in some nightclub. Instead he was sat here next to a hospital bed, squeezing the life out of a hand that hadn’t moved for hours.  

_“And that’s number five!” Christian cheered over the radio._

_“YES!” he shouted back._

_“Congratulations Max, you’ve just won the SHIT,” Christian cut off._

_“What? What’s wrong? Christian?!” he shouted down the radio. He didn’t hear anything back and was about to hit the radio button again when he turned the corner. It seemed like everything turned to slow motion as he took in the image in front of him. The car was barely visible with how far it had buried itself into the tyres lining the barrier, but he caught a glimpse of the number 3 just poking out._

_“Is that Daniel?”_

 

_Nothing._

 

 _“Christian?! Was that Daniel? Christian tell me he’s alright?”_  

_It takes a long time before he gets an answer and he’s about to park his car there and then to find out for himself when Christian’s voice reaches his ears once more._

_“We don’t know yet Max, just get back to the pits.”_

He’d driven back to the pit lane in a daze, jumping out of the car as soon as it had been parked. There had been no one hounding him for answers to stupid questions yet, everyone focussed on the other Red Bull car. His teammate over steering on the second to last corner. He’d been almost at the finish line for fuck’s sake.  

He’d hurried his way towards the pit wall, ready to grill Christian for answers when he heard the loud cheer go through the crowd. He’d looked over at the TV monitor then to see Daniel pull himself from the car, the piles of tyres now lifted away from the wreck of it. He’d breathed out a relieved sigh then, his heart rate catching up slowly.

Someone from the press team had come up to him them, coaxing him towards the podium now that they’d seen Daniel was fine. He doesn’t remember much from the podium anymore, his mind had still on Daniel and the crash. He’d mumbled some half hearted answer as David asked him about the win, taken the heavy trophy into his hands carefully and had given the champagne bottle a quick shake to spray it around in a daze. There’d been cheers that he barely took in, he’d never wanted to leave a podium as quickly.

He can’t taste the champagne on his lips anymore, but his face still feels sticky with it. He’d run a wet wipe over it when Maisie had handed it to him along with the rest of the stuff she’d brought, but it still felt sticky. He’d just sobbed his heart out as well before she came in, making the situation on his face even worse.

_“I can’t do this without you Daniel, you know I can’t,” he choked out in between wet sobs. “You said you were only leaving the team, not me. So you need to open your eyes okay.” Another sob heaves from his chest, thick teardrops running down his face as he takes in Daniel’s still form. His skin is unusually pale, the oxygen mask covering downturned lips. Looking like an empty shell of the man he’d fallen in love with._

_“Please just open your eyes.”_  

“Please just open your eyes,” he echoed the words he’d spoken so often now. The doctors had told him it was still early, that it took Daniel longer than they’d expected but that the swelling was going down and he’d surely wake up soon enough.

Soon enough wasn’t coming though. He shook his head, frustration crawling it’s way up inside of him. He just wanted him back. Wanted Dan to tell him to stop worrying, to tell him one of his corny jokes. Wanted that hand to squeeze back at him, to pull him close and let Max bury himself against him. He squeezes his eyes shut tight, willing back frustrated tears and drops his head again, lips pressing against Daniel’s fingers.   

He must’ve fallen asleep then, because the next time he opens his eyes it’s dark in the hospital room. He can’t make out the numbers on the clock anymore, but he notices that the bag of fluids hanging from the stand next to Daniel is fuller than before, refilled. It must’ve been a while then.

He straightens himself out, muscles groaning as bones creak in satisfying pops. He almost misses it over the sound of his bones creaking, the soft groan coming from the bed. But as his eyes rapidly focus in on the man lying in the bed he sees the frown on Dan’s face, the crinkle of his nose. He’s waking up, Daniel is waking up!

“Daniel,” he tried to say calmly, but it comes out in a rushed whisper. He’s squeezing at the hand he’s still holding, begging for a response now. It’s weak, but there’s a definite twitch underneath his fingers.

He rushes forward then, frantically presses on the button the doctor had pointed out earlier and runs a soft hand across Daniel’s cheek. “Open your eyes Daniel,” he breathed out.

He can see Dan’s eyes move behind his eyelids, but they remain shut. Another frown tugs at his brows as his body doesn’t cooperate, doesn’t listen to his commands.

“Please just open your eyes Daniel.”

And slowly, slowly those beautiful eyes blink open at him, pupils working hard to focus his gaze.

“Max,” Daniel croaks out, voice muffled by the oxygen mask. Another frown tugs at his brows and Max can feel Dan’s hand twitch underneath his own as he tries to lift it.

“Hey, hey, easy. You’re in the hospital.”

Daniel screws his face up at that. “was fine,” he mumbled from behind the mask.

“Yeah, you got out of the car, but then, then your brain swelled up and you collapsed. You scared the life out of us, of me,” Max tried to explain quickly. The doctor and nurses burst in then. The bright light that filters into the room making Daniel screw his eyes shut.

There’s a rush of the doctor running test after test. One moment they’re shining a light into Daniel’s eyes. _Pupils are dilating fine._ The next they’re making him squeeze their hands. _Weak, but full range of movement in hands._ And then asking him what he remembers. _Lost control of car. Crashed. Got out and then nothing._

He’s exhausted just taking it in and he can see the frustrated tears forming in Daniel’s eyes as they keep prodding him. “Just give him a chance to breathe will you,” he said, anger creeping into his voice. He doesn’t like seeing Daniel look like that, so confused and overwhelmed.

They do some last check-ups and then deem him out of risk, recovering well enough for now. They mention scheduling another MRI scan for the next morning to check up on the swelling of his brain, but then they finally leave them be.

Daniel beckons him over as soon as the door closes behind them. “C’m’ere,” he mumbled, oxygen mask now thankfully removed from his face. And Max knows he shouldn’t, that he should let Daniel rest and give him space for that, but he’s selfish enough to not care about any of that. So he goes, crawls into the bed next to Daniel and buries his face into his chest, listens to the steady heartbeat under his ear.        

“You just had to go and take the attention away from my win didn’t you, you big drama queen,” Max choked out as relieved tears fall down his face again.

“You know me,” Daniel sighed, his eyes closing once more from exhaustion. And Max tenses then, heart beating faster, panic settling in as anxiety rears its ugly head. _No no no, open your eyes, please just open your eyes._  

His mind is racing, Daniel’s body still underneath his touch once more and this can’t be happening again. Dan can’t keep tricking him into a false sense of security. He’s gasping in air too fast, his eyes filling with anxious tears and he’s spiraling into a full blown panic attack when a voice breaks through.

 

“Max.”

“Max, calm down please.” And he tries, he tries but his breathing keeps coming in fast bursts of not enough air and his heart keeps pumping his blood too fast.

“Listen to my voice okay, slow breaths, come on you can do it.” He shakes his head, tries to get his eyes to focus in on Daniel. On eyes that are open again. And slowly, slowly he works more air into his lungs. His heart beats slower, less frantic with each deep breath and Daniel’s face becomes less blurry.

“Hey, you’re alright. Nice and easy yeah,” Daniel said softly.

“Sorry. You just, your eyes were closed and, and I thought you were gone again.”

“I’m not, I promise.”

“I know. It’s stupid, I know.”

“Hey no, you’ve been worrying yourself sick for hours on end, don’t be so hard on yourself. But I promise I won’t leave you again each time I close my eyes, I’m just fucking exhausted mate. So are you by the look of it, you could definitely do with your beauty sleep.

“Hey!” Max said with a frown, even though exhaustion was definitely a heavy weight on his body right now.

“There’s my Max,” Daniel smiled, pressing a quick kiss to Max’s forehead. Then he closed his eyes again, but the strong squeeze of his hand made Max breathe out a sigh of relief. And when one last squeeze of his own hand, just to make sure, got returned easily he finally let the exhaustion pull him under as well.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Daniel crashes his car and is seemingly fine, but later collapses due to his brain swelling from the impact of the crash. He's in a coma for a few hours because of this. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. As always kudos and comments make my little writers heart soar. And you can find me on tumblr at [sleepysuggles](http://www.sleepysuggles.tumblr.com)


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